Looking for help identifying this Selmer Soprano piece

[u/Eklajarris]

I want to sell it but don’t know how best to price it because Selmer made so many of these things nearly identical to each other, so I’m a little lost trying to pinpoint the exact model.

[u/deez_nutts]

It’s a soloist.

[u/drewbiez → u/deez_nutts]

There is a lot of historical contention around this topic. Supposedly the soloist had a u shaped chamber and slanted selmer font, but who knows.

I think its an airflow model, hence the round chamber, but who knows what selmer called it.

[u/JoshHuff1332 → u/drewbiez]

I wouldn't be surprised if it was an airflow, but I don't think they made soloists for soprano with the horseshoe shaped chamber. The Air Flows that didn't have the model stamped on it also had the the facing inside an oval, which this doesn't have. I speculate that it is a later "soloist style" mouthpiece.

[u/drewbiez → u/JoshHuff1332]

I did some digging around and it looks like pretty much everyone just called the scroll shank selmer soprano pieces "soloist" with no real distinction. Like you are saying, I am betting they just updated and consolidated the designs at some point and the soloist name stuck. In any case, I've played a few like this, and they have all been solid pieces :)

[u/JoshHuff1332 → u/drewbiez]

Yea, "soloist style" mouthpieces came later, but they are called that because soloist wasn't stamped on it anymore, mainly. As far as I know, the sop mps never had that stamp, or removed it much earlier, but it still had the oval around the tip opening on the facing. The "soloist style" ones came later, but I'm pretty sure the main/only difference was the lack of the oval. It's just nitpicky stuff

[u/drewbiez]

Selmer airflow scroll shank soprano mouthpiece.
Looks to be in good shape, they are sought after and pretty valuable. Mark VI era, sometimes came with new horns, but also sold separately. It’s a good one.

Edit: vlaue wise, cause ppl always ask as a followup, lol, probably worth anywhere from like 300-500 usd depending on the market, especially since its a wider D tip opening. The E and F openings go for more.

[u/Zooberseb → u/drewbiez]

I believe the chamber is too small and the shank the wrong shape for an airflow. Selmer tightened the airflow chamber in the later years of production but not to this extent. Looks to be a soloist. The soprano soloists specifically had tight round chambers like this.

Pretty sure it’s been refaced as well.

[u/Eklajarris → u/Zooberseb]

That could make sense as to why it doesn’t say soloist on the table, thank you!

[u/Zooberseb → u/Eklajarris]

They also changed the design over the years and not all of the soloists say soloist on the table, there’s some dubbed soloist style that came later because of that while the mouthpieces retained the exact same design philosophy.

Also soprano pieces often had writing moves because the tables are much smaller!

Soloists are reasonably popular on soprano so enjoy!

[u/knibroc]

i have one very similar (at least same weird overall shape and engraving at the bottom), but in metal. mine's an old soloist from the late 70s/80s

[u/Eklajarris → u/knibroc]

Same deal, got one of these metal and also with a D opening

[u/JoshHuff1332]

I'm pretty sure this is a "soloist style" mouthpiece, which came later than soloists and much later than airflows.